SES: Number of HD+ Subscribers in Germany Passes Two Million Mark

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SES S.A. (Euronext Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) announced today that HD+ exceeded the two million subscriber mark in 2016. As of 31 December 2016, the satellite TV offer counted some 2,111,862 subscribers, 15 percent more than in 2015 (December 31, 2015: 1,840,800). In addition to paying customers, there are currently 850,000 households in the free HD+ test phase. In total, there are therefore currently almost three million households using HD+.

Wilfried Urner, Chairman of the Management Board of HD PLUS, said: “2016 was a great year for HD+, cracking the two million subscriber mark and growing even stronger than in the previous year. This momentum confirms that HD+ is now a real force in the German TV landscape. More and more people in Germany are willing to pay for a better television experience, whether in terms of content choice or picture quality. HD+, as one of the pioneers of HDTV, is benefiting from this trend. HD+ will be banking on further stimulus through the rising trend in Ultra-HD and the switch over of the current digital terrestrial television DVB-T to DVB-T2.”

On March 29, the digital terrestrial network in Germany will be switched from the DVB-T transmission standard to the new DVB-T2 technology, which includes a switch to a new encoding standard (HEVC). DVB-T households will then require new hardware. For many TV households, the combination of satellite reception and HD+ therefore offers an attractive alternative: 300 programs all over Germany, more than 50 in HD, and 23 via satellite exclusively with HD+. DVB-T2, which charges a fee for private programs, is limited to 40 channels, in many regions even fewer.

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About SES

SES is the world-leading satellite operator and the first to deliver a differentiated and scalable GEO-MEO offering worldwide, with more than 50 satellites in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and 12 in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). SES focuses on value-added, end-to-end solutions in four key market verticals (Video, Enterprise, Mobility and Government). It provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators, governments and institutions, and businesses worldwide. SES’s portfolio includes the ASTRA satellite system, which has the largest Direct-to-Home (DTH) television reach in Europe, and O3b Networks, a global managed data communications service provider. Another SES subsidiary, MX1, is a leading media service provider and offers a full suite of innovative digital video and media services. Further information available at: www.ses.com

About HD+

HD PLUS GmbH is a fully-owned subsidiary of SES, one of the world’s leading satellite operators with a fleet of over 50 satellites. HD PLUS GmbH was founded in May 2009 and markets the HD+ product, an additional HD quality programme offer which can be received in Germany via the Astra satellite system. Users of HD+ can access more than 50 channels in HD – in addition to 30 public-service HD broadcasters, viewers can receive 22 of the largest private channels in HD quality via the HD+ channel bundle. www.hd-plus.de

HD PLUS GmbH operates with UHD1 by Astra / HD+ is one of the first 24/7 demo channels for Ultra HD. UHD1 by Astra / HD+ is aimed at, among others, specialized retailers to fascinate people interested in UHD TV devices by providing spectacular content for Ultra HD during the daytime. In the evenings, UHD1 by Astra / HD+ is aimed exclusively at users of HD+, presenting exclusive documentaries, lifestyle, action, clips and chill-out programs, as well as user-generated content. http://www.hd-plus.de/uhd/